The impact of multicomponent weight management interventions on quality of life in adolescents affected by overweight or obesity: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Adolescents affected by overweight or obesity report similar quality of life to adolescents with cancer. While weight management is important for physiological outcomes, it is unclear whether weight management improves quality of life in this age group. This meta-analysis assessed the impact of multicomponent weight management interventions on quality of life in adolescents affected by overweight or obesity. Ovid PsycINFO, Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus and CINAHL Plus databases were searched up to July 2017. Eight eligible studies were randomized controlled trials of multicomponent weight management interventions for adolescents (10 to 19 years) affected by overweight or obesity, with quality of life and weight measurements. Meta-analyses determined a positive effect on quality of life (mean difference 0.20 [0.11, 0.29]; p < 0.01) and weight (mean difference 0.30 [0.12, 0.47]; p < 0.01) following intervention. There was no correlation between weight loss and improvements in quality of life (R-2 = 0.103). Rather than weight loss, intervention factors such as parental involvement, group settings and a focus on psychosocial well-being appeared linked to improvements in quality of life. The reduced quality of life reported by this group may be due to social consequences of obesity, rather than actual weight.